Sometimes, homeowners are caught facing the stress of a burst pipe in spite of their best efforts. Addressing a burst pipe quickly is key to minimizing costly damage.
Shut Off the Water and Electricity
Locate the main water shut-off valve in your home. Turning off the water supply is crucial to ensuring the mess does not get larger. You may find that you need to shut off the main water supply to your home. If this happens, you might be required to call your municipality and have the utility worker come to shut off the main line. Understanding where these valves are located in advance is extremely helpful if you are ever caught in an emergency situation like a burst pipe. Safety is key: If the burst pipe is near electrical appliances or outlets, turn off the electricity to the affected area to prevent fire hazards and electrocution.
Assess the Mess
Assessing the mess quickly is vital. Decisively remove any irreplaceable or valuable items that you think can be salvaged and place them in an unaffected area. Depending on the water level, now is the time to begin removing water from the home. Buckets, towels, and a wet/dry vac can be used to help mitigate the water damage, depending on your situation.
Determine the extent of the damage caused by the burst pipe. Assess the affected areas for water damage, including walls, and flooring. Taking photos or video at all parts of this process can be helpful for any records needed for insurance claims. It’s always better to have too much documentation to send to your claims adjuster than not having enough to prove all the damages.
Call the Pros
While time is of the essence, getting a respected professional is key. A good plumber will offer their expertise on the situation and ensure that the repair job is done well the first time. You can now take additional steps to clean the mess, including calling to rent a dehumidifier or hiring a water damage restoration team if the situation is too much to handle alone. This is also the time to call your insurance company and see what they advise, and if they have any preferred teams or pros in your area who can address the damage.
